Daniel Levy playing risky game with Tottenham’s Harry Kane

Tottenham is ensnared in a Catch-22 where Harry Kane is concerned, as the downfalls of either decision could have severe and long-lasting implications.

Kane scored 30 goals in the 2022-23 campaign, 43 percent of Tottenham’s Premier League output.

It was the highest percentage of goals Kane scored in a single season, offering a mere glimpse, a superficial snapshot, of how important he is to the team.

Trying to comprehend, even coming to terms with the prospect of him leaving, incites sweaty-palm syndrome. We’ve been down this road many times, but none more unnerving and unforgettable than the rumours that swirled during the dreaded summer of 2021.

He stayed then, but will he stay now?

The current predicament differs from 2021, as Kane is two years older and wiser. He has a handful of obvious reasons why leaving his boyhood club now makes the most sense, the most prominent being the opportunity to win silverware.

The problem for Kane, though, is the lack of viable choices at his disposal. It’s improbable Kane will go to Chelsea, even with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm. Integrity is an important character trait for England’s captain, who will perceive going to Chelsea as a sure-fire way to tarnish his legendary Spurs’ status.

Regardless of your views on transferring to a rival, Arsenal is a definite no-go. And Manchester City went all-in on Erling Haaland. Enough said.

What choice in England is he left with?

Manchester United has its allure and can afford Daniel Levy’s asking price. However, Levy is as unlikely to sell Kane to a Premier League rival as the player is signing for the Blues.

Aside from a windfall of incoming cash, why would Levy sell to Premier League rivals, taking away almost half of our goals while making United a title contender in one fell swoop?

Where if he’s not going to another English club?

Real Madrid’s interest cooled when they realized who they were negotiating with. Levy will not budge on his valuation of arguably the world’s most prized asset.

And, on this point, I agree wholeheartedly with the chairman. Kane shouldn’t be sold for less than £120 million. Even that feels like a price you could only bargain for at a flea market in a third-world country.

Transferring abroad, while enticing, has a mammoth drawback. Kane is 48 goals away from eclipsing Alan Shearer as the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring leader. On his current pace, Spurs’ talisman is about a season and a half from waving to Shearer’s former record in the rearview.

Leaving England now, though, would delay Kane’s crowning achievement. And that is a massive deterrent for Tottenham’s all-time goalscoring leader.

So, where does that leave Levy?

Kane, whose current deal expires in a year, remains patient and knows he has the upper hand.

Levy can sell him now and significantly worsen Tottenham in the near term or hold on to him for one more season, thereby risking losing the club’s most important player of a generation for nothing.

The best-case scenario for Levy sounds somewhat whimsical, though slightly feasible. The hope is that Kane stays and gets hooked on Ange ball.

Even better, Kane, adoring Tottenham’s newfound attacking brilliance, would want to sign an extension.

Though possible, it’s more likely Kane sees out his contract and leaves for pastures anew, hoping to crack the silverware safe.

What should Levy do?

Surely, Spurs can’t afford to lose Kane on a free transfer in a year’s time. That would be a catastrophic missed opportunity to build for the future.

Then again, what’s the alternative?

Seeing Kane leave this summer would devastate the club and supporters, an inconceivable notion after finally getting a glimpse of a faint light at the end of an otherwise pitch-black tunnel.